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About this blog: About this blog: I am a LMFT specializing in couples counseling and grief and have lived in Silicon Valley since 1969. I'm the president of Connect2 Marriage Counseling. I worked in high-tech at Apple, Stanford University, and in ... (More)

About this blog: About this blog: I am a LMFT specializing in couples counseling and grief and have lived in Silicon Valley since 1969. I'm the president of Connect2 Marriage Counseling. I worked in high-tech at Apple, Stanford University, and in Silicon Valley for 15 years before becoming a therapist. My background in high-tech is helpful in understanding local couples' dynamics and the pressures of living here. I am a wife, mom, sister, friend, author, and lifelong advocate for causes I believe in (such as marriage equality). My parents are both deceased. My son graduated culinary school and is heading toward a degree in Sociology. I enjoy reading, hiking, water fitness, movies, 49ers and Stanford football, Giants baseball, and riding a tandem bike with my husband. I love the beach and mountains; nature is my place of restoration. In my work with couples, and in this blog, I combine knowledge from many fields to bring you my best ideas, tips, tools and skills, plus book and movie reviews, and musings to help you be your genuine self, find your own voice, and have a happy and healthy relationship. Don't be surprised to hear about brain research and business skills, self-soothing techniques from all walks of life, suggestions and experiments, and anything that lights my passion for couples. (Author and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Calif. Lic # MFC 45204.) (Hide)

Retreat Day

Uploaded: Sep 23, 2014

Do you ever have a day where you just want to stay in bed? Tired, a little cranky. It seems it would probably be better off for those around me to be spared my presence. Nothing really terrible going on.

Just a retreat day. Do we let ourselves have it? Do we give our beloved a day off now and then? What happens, how do we feel when we're not "on" and productive? A day such as this now and then may be much needed rejuvenation.

(However, several weeks of this may indicate depression, and I recommend you exercise and meditate daily, socialize several times a week, even if you don't feel like it. And if these don't help, seek professional help.)

Posted by Ideafarm,
a resident of Rengstorff Park,
on Oct 2, 2014 at 10:34 am

How do you start a positive type of article about needing a day off from the world, to ending it with "seek professional help"? If man or women works 50 hours a week and is drained 1day a week they may be depressed? Crazy concept lady. BTW my wife has a few days a month where she wants to be left alone and is kinda cranky, I just let her be. I don't think older women have this problem.....or wait. Yes they do! They just call it something else.

Posted by Chandrama Anderson,
a PleasantonWeekly.com blogger,
on Oct 2, 2014 at 12:32 pmChandrama Anderson is a registered user.

Thanks for your comment. My goal was to notice that we all need retreat days now and again.

In the last paragraph, I also intended to contrast that with clinical depression, which is a different issue. Symptoms do not abate for two or more weeks (vs. a day here and there). Those who suffer from clinical depression deserve the care they need.